Mango and Coconut Rice Salad

Everybody knows now that the undisputed king of mangoes is the Indian Alphonso. It is intensely sweet and has an unbeatable perfumed aroma. I'd go as far as saying that you haven't tasted a real mango until you've tried an Alphonso (and nobody is paying me for this). The season, though, is very shortmid-April to the end of Mayso try to prepare this salad then.

Preparation

Start by cooking the rice. Put the jasmine rice and butter in a small saucepan and place on a medium heat. Add a little salt, the water and half the Thai basil (keep the leaves attached to the stalk). Bring to the boil, then cover and cook on a slow simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and discard the basil. Spread out the rice on a flat tray to cool down.

Cook the red rice in plenty of boiling water (as you would cook pasta but with no salt) for 20 minutes, or until it is cooked through. Drain and spread on a tray to cool down.

Pick off the leaves of the remaining basil and chop them up roughly. Place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the jasmine and red rice together with all the remaining ingredients, apart from the shallots, and stir just to mix; do not stir too much or the mango pieces will disintegrate. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer the salad into serving bowls and garnish with crisp-fried shallots, if you like.